Gujarat
State women's SEWA Co-operative Federation Ltd. is an organisation working for
women in Gujarat and beyond. The federation is the direct result of SEWA's conviction
of women's participation in the co-operative movement, registered in 1992. The
federation is a part of the larger family of SEWA sponsored organisations. The
main aim of the federation is to ensure the active participation of poor women
and self-employed women in the co-operative movement to enable them obtain regular
work and a steady income through co-operative organisation. Sewa is a member of
WFTO (International Federation for Alternative Trade) and NCUI (National Co-operative
Union of India), as well as AEPC (Apparel Export Promotion Council).

Gujarat state women's SEWA Co-operative federation's main objectives are to enhance
the economic and social development of its present and potential members and to
encourage active participation of women in the co-operative movement. The federation
strives to enhance their skills by providing education and training in entrepreneurship
and provides advisory services and technical support services to its members.

Presently there are about 100 co-operatives in the
SEWA federation, categorised as follows; artisanal, land based, livestock, trading,
service, and credit co-operatives. Out of these the artisan co-operatives (which
are the co-ops that supply Ganesha with products) are concerned with fair trade
opportunities for the less privileged and exploited artisan members of the co-operatives.
The co-operatives are categorised as per follows and also as groups; Abu dana
block printing co-operative; Sabina patch work co-operative; Sachana embroidery
co-operative; Puppet group; Ari work group; Crochet group; Tila zari group; Stitching
group.

For Sewa members, the benefits of membership are many, and keenly felt,
since many experienced exploitation by middlemen, prior to accessing SEWA services:
SEWA gives its members direct access to training, marketing, financial assistance
(SEWA Bank), social security and services of SEWA Federation such as SEWA mahila
co-operative bank, and other service co-operatives eg; vimo SEWA for insurance,
bal sewa Co-operative for child care, health care co-operative for health and
hygiene needs, SEWA Kalakruti and Banascraft for marketing facilities.

As
the artisan co-operatives thrive on making new products, so SEWA assists in design
development, and helps make products which command their own identity and price.
The artisans are paid by fair means above normal paying standards followed by
other industries. Not only does the consumer get the product at a fair price but
the artisan worker also gets a fair wage. For the future, we plan to open a handicraft
park / garments park for the artisan's products, to promote and market them locally.

We recognise the numerous challenges ahead, however. With globalisation,
liberalisation and other economic changes, there are both new opportunities as
well as threats to some traditional areas of employment. More than ever, our members
are ready to face the winds of change. They know that they must organise to build
their own strengths and to meet challenges and be very much the part of the mainstream
society for which SEWA works towards women's leadership, their confidence, their
bargaining power within and outside their homes and their representation in policy-making
and decision-making towards which SEWA is supporting the members by capacity building
and their own economic organisations.

Being involved with the fair trade
market the artisan gets the benefit of the global marketplace and direct marketing,
which increases their employment. And the consumer gets better quality, artisan-made
products, at a good price.

One last word to consumers in the UK: you are
not only buying authentic, quality, handmade goods, but also giving a regular
livelihood to the women producers. You are changing the producers' quality of
life and bringing prosperity to the family of the poor self-employed.